October 12, 2012 11:00am EDTOctober 12, 2012 8:29am EDTYankees vs. Orioles ALDS: With their season on the line in a must-win Game 5 tonight, the Yankees will have ace CC Sabathia on the mound.

Staff report

Published on Oct. 12, 2012

Oct. 12, 2012

The New York Yankees didn’t want to play a decisive Game 5 tonight in their ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, but they can take some comfort in the fact that they will have ace CC Sabathia on the mound.

“It’s time to go,” Sabathia told the New York Daily News after the team lost Game 4 in 13 innings on Thursday. “This is a one-game playoff and this is what we play for. We’re here in the Bronx at home and I’ll be excited and ready to go. That’s a good team over there we’ve been battling all year, so hopefully I can go out and have a good performance, and keep us in the game and give us a chance to win.”

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Sabathia won Game 1 of the series, holding the Orioles to two earned runs in 8 2/3 innings. And he will be on normal rest. He will be opposed by Orioles righthander Jason Hammel, who also pitched well (two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings) in the series opener.

The newspaper notes Sabathia is 3-0 with a 4.66 ERA in his past seven postseason starts and 6-1 with a 3.29 ERA in 11 postseason starts with the Yankees.

With their season on the line, the Yankees are hoping Sabathia can turn in a performance similar to the one ace Justin Verlander gave the Detroit Tigers in their Game 5 win over the Oakland A’s on Thursday. Verlander pitched a complete-game shutout and struck out 11.

The downside to having to use Sabathia in Game 5 of the ALDS: He likely would make only one start in the ALCS, should the Yankees advance. Game 1 of the ALCS is Saturday evening (either at Yankee Stadium or Comerica Park).